I’ve been working part time for about a month now. I feel useful for the first time in almost 2 decades. i don’t do anything particularly hard or interesting but I am part of the system now, doing something, just not being on disability and taking without giving back. It makes me feel good. And the extra money is really nice too.
I’m not disparaging anyone that is on disability and can’t work,.I was in the position for a long time so I completely understand it. But if you can get a job that you are capable of doing I think it will boost your self esteem. I no longer feel completely useless.
I only work part time, and I have had some bad days, some days I get home and I am tired, especially since I have insomnia and on occasion only get 4-5 hours sleep before work, but it feels good to know I am doing something.
I don’t know if i will be able to work permanently going forward, there is always the possibility I will have a psychiatric downturn and have to quit, but for now it feels good to do something other than sitting on my butt watching TV and surfing the Internet all the time.
good for you im also looking for work, havent worked in 8 years now, im looking for 12 to 16 hours a week. any day but thursday.
i worked from age 15 to 29, and continued to work for a couple years after being diagnosed. then i got sick of work and applied for disability. now i want to supplement my income after nearly 8 years doing nothing. a long vacation it’s been.
Good luck, if it works out I think it will make you feel better about yourself.
I hadn’t had a proper job in almost 2 decades, I think 2003 was my last real job, my resume sucked but I still managed to get a job. Anything is possible.
Having a job is positive for me too. I only work as a extra at a shop, but it’s good to be there as long as I am able to keep my sanity. There have been days I have passed, but I think for the most part I have been able to come when they have called.
Hopefully my work situation will be more clear in the fall. I am being evaluated for partial disability. I probably should have got it 10 years ago to be realistic, but somehow I pushed myself beyond my limits which has resulted in a lot of wasted time and poor health. I think I would have been a lot better off if I was realistic about my capabilities from the get go, but I was stubborn. Wanted to be as workable as I was before I got mentally ill.
You give me hope I have been out of a job for 10 years now. My resume is piss. I applied to a cleaning job that was 4 hours a day but when they asked me to fill out the application I panicked cause I had no references except family, so I didn’t go through with it.
Yeah it’s good to have something regular to do. I don’t work for money but do volunteering for my cricket club. It’s way less stress but it’s pretty flexible so as long as stuff gets done it’s just about time management. I’m glad your working and it’s going well for you. Keep that stress low! Stress really is the enemy for most at work.
I drive a minivan around town dropping off packages people have ordered online.
Look for jobs on indeed,com that is where I found my job. You can create your resume on that website, then make it public (to employers) so they can browse it and contact you. You can also use your online resume to apply for jobs on indeed.
I applied to a bunch of jobs, got a few interviews and actually got a job. Some will ignore or reject your application but that is just part of the process of finding a job. My resume sucks but the guy called me for a phone interview and I made a good impression so he hired me.
They don’t know I have schizophrenia, and I don’t plan on telling them.
Thank you for replying. I will be doing that. You give me hope. A delivery job would be perfect for me because I am not a people person and I always get bullied at my jobs. I prefer to work alone.
It really is great. I see my manager for about an hour in the morning as I load the minivan with packages but most days we don’t even speak because there is no need. So I don’t have a manager on my ass all day telling me what to do, and I spend the rest of the day by myself. Then I drive around town in an air conditioned minivan listening to my favourite radio stations just dropping off packages. There is an app with the locations and it ties into Google maps and the phone tells me exactly where to go. It’s an easy low stress job.
